Underage workers head back to school

BEIJING – Underage interns working at a plant operated by electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn Technology Group returned to their vocational schools in the eastern Chinese city of Yantai on Wednesday, the official New China News Agency reported.

Foxconn on Tuesday admitted to employing interns as young as 14 at a factory in the city. China’s minimum working age is 16. It’s unclear how many workers were underage.

“Our investigation has shown that the interns in question, who ranged in age from 14 to 16, had worked in that campus for approximately three weeks,” Foxconn said in a prepared statement. “We have found no evidence of similar violations in any of our other campuses in China, but we will not hesitate to take immediate action in any campus if any violations are discovered.”

The admission comes one month after Foxconn denied reports in Chinese media that it forced vocational students to work in factories making iPhones.

State media reported that the teenagers were among thousands of students tabbed by vocational schools in the area to help solve severe labor shortages at Foxconn plants. Foxconn reportedly sought help from the local government in finding workers.

American Airlines will hire flight attendants

NEW YORK – American Airlines said Wednesday that it will post job openings for 1,500 flight attendants next month. It will start hiring in December and put the new staff in training beginning in January.

That may seem like a strange move for a company trying to cut labor costs under bankruptcy protection. But the airline needs to replace some of the 2,205 flight attendants that have accepted a $40,000 buyout to leave the company – the equivalent of about a year’s salary. It’s the first time the company has hired flight attendants in 11 years.

PepsiCo income down 5 percent for quarter

NEW YORK – PepsiCo Inc.’s net income dipped 5 percent in the third quarter as the snack food and beverage maker poured more money into bolstering its flagship brands and developing new products that position it for the future.

Still, profit for the company, which makes Frito-Lay chips, Tropicana juice and Quaker Oats, was above Wall Street expectations. Pepsi also stood by its guidance for the year.

PepsiCo, the world’s No. 2 soda maker, is trying to catch bigger rival Coca-Cola Co. Coca-Cola has grown its market share in recent years through aggressive marketing and innovative packaging.